Secure authentication and payment system

ABSTRACT

A transaction and payment and processing system securely conducts transactions over the public telephone network. The transactions may be between and among entities of any type such as individuals, merchants, utilities, banks, etc. Nothing more than access to a telephone is required after initial registration of a user.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 16/164,307, filed Oct. 18, 2018, which is a continuationapplication of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/683,359, filed Aug.22, 2017, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/689,308, filed Nov. 29, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,767,455,which is a Divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/375,501filed on Feb. 26, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,346,659, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/899,905filed on Jul. 6, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,742,984, the contents of eachof which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present application relates to authentication and payment systemsand, more particularly, to secure authentication and payment systems.

Background Information

Authentication is a major constituent of essentially all commercialtransactions. When individuals deal with each other face to face,authentication may be implicit if the individuals know each other. Ifthey do not, authentication at various levels may be required before thetransaction is allowed to be completed. For example, a photo ID such asa driver's license may be required by a party to the transaction beforethe transaction is allowed to proceed. Authentication is particularly aproblem if the parties do not know each other and/or are not dealingwith each other face to face. In such a case, various forms ofidentification, such as passwords, may be required as a condition ofcompletion.

Authentication systems, of course, are adjuncts to payment systems.There are many systems used for exchange of value (payment) whichinclude, but are not limited to, cash, checks and credit/debit cards.The latter are particularly vulnerable to fraud and theft, and accountfor substantial losses to merchants and financial institutions everyyear, despite significant efforts to authenticate the transaction ofwhich they are a part.

Businesses which sell items of comparatively low cost have an especialneed for transaction authentication which is simple and minimallyintrusive but nonetheless robust. Purchasers of such items are largelymembers of the general public, often with limited patience. While theywill accept some level of authentication in connection with atransaction, the level is generally not sufficient to ensure reliableauthentication of all transactions, and customers will often refuse todeal with merchants who seek to impose higher levels of authentication.Thus, merchants frequently limit the authentication requirements thatthey impose, and therefore knowingly incur a predictable level of lossrather than lose customers who will not accept higher levels ofauthentication.

The cost of authenticating a transaction is also a major factor in itsuse. The cost of authentication must not be significant in relation tothe cost of the article, else authentication may be omitted in order toinduce the sale.

One of the first and still most widely used systems of authentication isthe bank Automated Teller Machine (ATM) system that is used by manybanks. In this system a financial institution issues to an individual anATM card which is preprogrammed by the financial institution to beaccepted by the network. The individual can then access funds andbanking information by inserting or swiping the card using ATM specificapparatus which is connected to the network, either in real-time orthrough a dial-up service. The apparatus requests a PIN (personalidentification number) from the user. After the individual has keyed inthe PIN, the network matches the keyed PIN with a pre-recorded PIN. Ifthe information matches exactly, the ATM network allows the individualto check his account balance, pay a bill, or receive currency from themachine, among other available transactions.

This level of authentication has been deemed acceptable to individualsand financial institutions, but it requires special apparatus (the ATMmachines and the ATM cards) as well as a private communications networkover which the transactions take place. Further, different bankingnetworks belong to different ATM networks.

Authentication When Not Present (AWNP) has become an important issue inincreasingly complex commercial transactions. Typically enterprises suchas American Express®, VISA®, MasterCard®, banks or check-clearingnetworks and their affiliates (referred to collectively herein asPayment Networks (PN)) provide a unique apparatus to merchants that areconnected to one or more PN's. In order to obtain authorization for apayment, the PN typically requires that the cards issued by them beswiped through the apparatus or that check numbers and other details beinputted on a keyboard by the merchant or by their agent. The merchantmay also simply read the card or check data over the phone to the PNagent. The unique data is then transported on a network andauthorization is obtained from the appropriate PN. The merchant thentypically requires the customer to sign a template document to verifythe purchase and the customer's responsibility for paying for the goodsto the PN or, in the case of checks, to completing a check and signingit.

Sometimes a merchant will require a separate identification (ID), but inmost circumstances, especially in the case of a PN card, the onlyauthentication typically required is the PN card itself. After thecustomer signs the template document, the merchant relegates theresponsibility for payment to the PN, relying on the authorizationobtained from the PN and the signed document they have obtained from thecustomer. If the customer disputes the transaction, the merchantpresents the document as a means of verifying the purchase.

This system relies on two premises:

-   -   1. That the customer will promptly report a lost or stolen card,        so that a card presented by a customer to the merchant, if not        previously reported lost or stolen, can be assumed to belong to        the customer presenting it.    -   2. That the signature on the back of the card matches the        template document after authorization has been obtained by the        merchant.

There are many ways that fraud can occur in this arrangement. Someexamples include, e.g., a card that has been stolen but not reported assuch; a card that has not been signed by its authorized owner but hasbeen signed by an unauthorized user instead; and failure of the merchantto check a signature when a customer signs the template document, amongothers. In the case of taking orders over a phone or on the internet, acard is not present and no signature is obtained to verify the customer;therefore, in most circumstances, if a customer disputes a transaction,the PN holds the merchant responsible, as the merchant was willing toproceed with the transaction without obtaining a signature. This isreferred to in the card industry as “charge back”, and can account for 2to 10% of the value of the goods sold by the merchant. Additionally,most PN's require a higher transaction fee for Transactions When NotPresent (TWNP), or for merchant classes that have higher proportion oftheir sales as TWNP, and thus the merchant's transaction costs areincreased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Despite the widespread adoption of the internet and the significantcommerce which already takes place over it, a substantial portion of thepublic still does not use the internet for commercial transactions. Forsome of these the non-use is attributable to unfamiliarity with, oraccess to, computers which can access the internet. For others, it isdue to lack of trust in the security features of the system.

Whether or not they have access to, or are able to or do, trust and usethe internet, most people have long been accustomed to using thetelephone and to conducting business over it. Unlike the internet, inwhich data can easily be intercepted by skilled hackers, telephonetransmissions are difficult to intercept without specialized equipmentand often then only with considerable difficulty. The main reason isthat, with the telephone, communication takes place securely between twonodes within a channel, in contrast to the internet or other generalpublic networks where multiple nodes have access to the samecommunication, thus allowing interception and hacking. This is the caseboth with landline telephones, in which the information beingtransmitted travels to a local central office via a unique circuit whichis difficult to “tap” unobtrusively, as well as with wirelesscommunications which may be encoded.

Telephone numbers are universally assigned uniquely to customers by thetelephone company, and thus can serve as a unique identifier for acustomer. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and all theglobal telephone operating companies have agreed to assigned countrycodes. For example, 1 identifies the United States, Canada and parts ofCaribbean; 49 identifies Germany; and so forth. Furthermore, the variousauthorities and telephone companies in each country have decided on areacodes and numbers for cities, areas or regions, e.g. 617 for Boston and212 for parts of Manhattan. Within these areas, an individual subscriberis assigned a unique number. This numbering system allows, e.g., anindividual in South Africa to simply dial the country code of the UnitedStates, the assigned area code, and finally the user number to reach adesired person or entity. This numbering system provides unique routinginformation which has been used primarily by Telephone OperatingCompanies (Telcos) for finding a subscriber, opening a circuit, andcompleting a call. The present application uses this unique telephonenumbering system as a principal identifier in routing and completingfinancial transactions and other transfer of goods and services.

In recent years various Telcos have made this number accessible to theusers of the telephone system by way of “Caller ID” offering. In thisservice, the telephone number of the calling party is sent to the calledparty, along with the dialing information, thereby identifying thecalling party. If the called party subscribes to the “Caller ID”service, he/she is thus enabled to see or otherwise ascertain thetelephone number of the calling party in connection with the call. Thisnumber has been available internally to Telcos since the advent ofelectromagnetic switches in the early 20^(th) century. It became moretransparent through the advent of digital switching, especially theClass 5 switches in the early 1980's. The caller information was and isused for signaling, routing and billing by Telcos. Hereinafter wedesignate Caller ID (CID) and any other unique identifier of a Telconetwork subscriber such as Caller Line ID (CLID) or Automatic NumberIdentification (ANI) and the like simply as Caller ID.

Various further uses have been proposed and/or implemented for makinguse of this functionality for performing authentication functions invarious contexts. For example, one of the telephone companies hasproposed to use it for authenticating requests for call forwardingservices. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,570, issued Jan. 25, 2000, for“Methods And apparatus For Regulating The Remote Ordering,Authorization, Access And Control Of Services And Service FeaturesAssociated With A Terminal”. In that patent, the unauthorized orderingof call forwarding services for an unsuspecting customer, and itssubsequent use to place long distance calls, is proposed to be defeatedby checking the ID of the telephone from which the service is orderedand refusing to implement call forwarding on the targeted customertelephone unless the ID of the requesting telephone is the same as theID of the customer telephone. Another proposes to use it over onenetwork (e.g., the telephone network) to authenticate purchases over asecond, separate network (e.g., the internet). See U.S. Pat. No.6,088,683, issued Jul. 11, 2000 to Reza Jalili for “Secure PurchaseTransaction Method Using Telephone Number”. In that patent, a customercontacts a merchant over a first electronic network (e.g., the internet)which either the customer, or the merchant, or both may deem insecure,and places an order. In connection with the order, the customeridentifies itself by supplying its telephone number and a registrationnumber previously issued by a central registry. The registration numberis obtained by either calling or writing the central registry in advanceof any transaction. The merchant then generates an invoice that includesthe customer identification information and transmits it to the centralregistry. In order to complete the transaction, the customer must thencall the central registry and confirm the order. The central registrymay verify the customer by any of various techniques, one of whichoptionally may include use of the customer's caller ID.

This proposal has a number of defects which limit its usefulness. First,the exclusive arena in which transaction occurs is the world wide webi.e. the internet. The telephone is used for authentication purposesonly, and not as the initiator or medium of the transaction. Further,the transaction requires multiple sessions on the part of the user,allowing lapse of time which can diminish its value from both thecustomer's and merchant's point of view. Specifically, by separating intime the initial purchase decision and its final approval by thecustomer, a “second thought” on the part of the customer is more likelyto occur, and thus reduce the number of transactions. Further, fraud canoccur in the very registration process itself, since registration is tobe accepted not only from the registrant's telephone, but also fromalternate telephone numbers. Although various security checks aresuggested in the latter case, use of caller ID is merely one option,leaving open the distinct possibility that information that was in factstolen from another (e.g., a Social Security number) may form the basisof registration.

It has also been proposed to use a party's caller ID as a substitute fortheir credit card number: see U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,447, issued May 8,2001, for “Cardless Payment System”. In the system of that patent, acustomer makes a purchase by providing his/her telephone number and aPIN to a merchant in place of the usual credit card number. The merchantthen retrieves the credit card number from the credit card issuer usingthis information. The telephone number and PIN may be supplied in personto the merchant, in which case there is no further verification providedfor, or it may be done over the phone, in which case the merchant mayobtain the number from the call itself and may use this without askingthe customer to repeat its input or may use it to verify the telephonenumber input by the customer. In either case, the transaction isultimately dependent on the merchant's obtaining and using the creditcard number to complete the transaction, and the customer's telephonenumber is simply a mechanism through which the credit card number isretrieved.

In contrast to the above, I have developed a secure system fortransaction authorization and payment. The system requires the use ofonly a single session by a user desiring to initiate a transaction, andin most cases a single network, and is instantly accessible via atelephone network, mobile or landline device. This device need notnecessarily be a telephone; it can be a Personal Digital Assistant orother device. The device, however, must be one having a preassignedunique number on a telephone network or on an IP telephony networkthrough a pre assigned IP gateway. For ease of use hereinafter, I referto such a device simply as a telephone, with the clear understandingthat the term is intended to encompass not only voice-transmission andreception devices commonly understood by the term “telephone” (i.e.,“conventional telephones”), but also personal digital assistants andother devices used for connecting to the telephone network and eachhaving a unique number assigned to them. Of course, the device may sharea given telephone number with other telephones of a user as is nowcommonly done with conventional telephones in the case of extensiontelephones. Similarly, for convenience of reference, I refer to theperson using the device to pay bills, make purchases, transfer money orother assets, etc., as “the customer”, whether an individual or anorganization, and even though a particular transaction may not in factinvolve the purchase or sale of goods or services. The authorizationprocess of the present application is rapid and largely transparent tothe customer. It can be implemented with a single session between thecustomer and a third party such as a merchant, yet is sufficient toestablish and complete a transaction, together with payment for it asappropriate.

It is an object of the present application to provide an improvedauthentication system for transactions between entities.

Another object of the present application is to provide an improvedauthentication system which facilitates consumer transactions.

Still another object of the present application is to provide animproved authentication system which is unobtrusive with respect to theuser.

Yet another object of the present application is to provide an improvedauthentication and payment system.

Still a further object of this present application is to provide asimple yet relatively secure system for authenticating an individual ororganization and allowing them to forward and/or swap funds, goods andservices including, but not limited to, stocks, motor vehicle titles, orother assets or certificates representing value.

Still a further object of the present application is to provide animproved authentication and payment system which is reliable, yetunobtrusive.

Yet a further object of the present application is to provide animproved authentication and payment system which does not require thepresence at a particular site of a customer using the system.

Still a further object of the present application is providing animproved system for authentication and/or payment which isgeographically universal.

Still a further object of the present application is providing animproved system for authentication and/or payment which does not requirespecial apparatus for its operation.

The foregoing and other and further objects of the present applicationwill be more readily understood on reference to the following detaileddescription of the application, when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block and line diagram of a first form of authentication andpayment system;

FIG. 2 is a block and line diagram of a second form of authenticationand payment system;

FIG. 3 is a system-wide view of the transfer of assets from a payertrust account to a payee trust account in accordance with the presentapplication;

FIG. 4 FIG. 4 illustrates some of the data that may be included in auser's trust account; FIG. 5 illustrates the operation of the presenttechnique in the case of a direct transfer of assets from aninitiator-payer to a target-payee;

FIG. 6 illustrates an enhanced form of authentication in accordance withthe present technique;

FIG. 7 illustrates a further form of enhanced authentication inaccordance with the present technique; and

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a process by which the value at risk in atransaction is controlled in accordance with the present technique.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present application, a customer (or, moregenerally a “source” or “initiator”) conducts transactions securely bytelephone with a “target”. Such transactions may include, for example,the ordering of merchandise from a merchant (which term should beunderstood in the broadest sense herein to include any entity engaged inany form of business or commerce whatever); the payment of a bill to amerchant; the transfer of money to another person or merchant; thetransfer of money from one account to another; or the transfer of assetsor property from one entity to another, such as by transferringownership of shares, etc., among other types of transactions. Thetransaction is performed either directly with the target or indirectlythrough an intermediary (hereinafter called for convenience “theFacilitator”). The Facilitator includes at least a data processorprogrammed to handle one or more portions of the transactions to beundertaken in connection with it. Typically, the Facilitator willinclude programs or program modules to receive a call over a telephonenetwork; authenticate the call as described hereinafter; and process thetransaction, such as by debiting and crediting various accounts orproviding the required information for others to do so, or by keepingrecords of the transaction or otherwise enabling the transaction in anorderly manner. As necessary, one or more of these functions may in factbe performed by a human being.

The Facilitator typically maintains two separate databases, the first ofwhich defines the customers, and the second of which defines at leastsome of the targets with which a customer may undertake a transaction.The customer database includes fields containing at least the customer'sregistered Telephone Number and a customer-selected password (PIN), aswell as data pertaining to a Funding Mechanism (hereinafter, “FM”, e.g.,an account or line of credit with the Facilitator or with a third party,a bank account, a credit card, debit card etc.) against whichtransactions undertaken by the customer may be debited. Additionalfields are preferably included, however, including the customer's nameand default address and shipping preferences, such as shipping address,shipping mode (e.g., parcel post, United Parcel Service®, FederalExpress®); additional FM's (e.g., one or more credit cards, with theirrequisite identifying numbers and other information; bank accounts, bankrouting numbers; credit facility provider, amount of credit availableetc.) and other data useful in processing transactions. Similarly, thetarget database contains fields including at least a target identifier(e.g., a sequence number assigned by the Facilitator, the telephonenumber of the target, or simply the name of the target) and a paymentdestination identifier that defines the entity into which authorizedpayments are to be made (e.g., an account with the Facilitator, anaccount with a bank, etc.).

Preceding completion of a transaction between two entities (which termis intended to encompass individuals as well), the Facilitator registersat least one of the parties to the transaction. Typically, this occursbefore either entity uses the system, but may occur after only a singleentity has registered. In the latter case, registration of the otherparty or parties to the transaction is preferably sought to be made partof the transaction, although completion of the transaction need not beconditioned on this. In order to register, a call is placed between theFacilitator and the entity to be registered, from which the primaryidentifier (i.e., the telephone number of the device to be registered tothe entity) is obtained or verified. The entity then provides certaininformation such as a secondary identifier (e.g., password) to beassociated with it and additional data such as its name, address,payment sources (in the case of a customer), destination account sources(in the case of a merchant or expected payee), or both (in case of thosewho will be both paying and receiving). Further data such as shippingpreferences are desirably included. Where multiple alternatives areprovided for a given data source (such as payment source, shipping mode,etc.), default preferences are established; these may simply be thefirst item listed in the respective categories. A key entry in eachdatabase is the Caller ID, which serves as the primary authenticator forthe transaction, while a further preferably unique identifier such as apersonal identification number (PIN) serves as the secondaryauthenticator for each transaction. A tertiary identifier may beprovided for identification. The collection of data comprises a “voicewallet” which may thereafter be used to facilitate transactions. Some orall of this information may be obtained instead from the telephonecompany which stores certain data in connection with devices registeredwith it, or may be verified against the data maintained by the telephonecompany.

As a specific example of a typical expected registration procedure,assume that a customer wishes to conduct transactions with or throughthe Facilitator. The customer preferably first registers with theFacilitator. This may include the following steps

1. The customer calls the Facilitator from a given telephone or otherdevice to be registered. Information pertaining to the telephone numberof the device used by the customer is already on record at the Telco orother entity that maintains a telephone number and subscriber database,and in most circumstances has been verified by the Telco. Thisinformation includes the telephone subscriber's name, address (in caseof land-line devices, the address where the telephone line isterminated), social security or other unique identification number, andcredit check in most instances, among other information. The Telcodatabase can also contain private unique information useful foridentification, e.g., the mother's maiden name, etc. Information fromadditional sources such as credit card companies, credit bureaus, etc.may also be obtained and utilized by the Facilitator.

2. The Facilitator retrieves the requisite information from the Telco'sdatabase and, if private information is contained in the database, suchas mother's maiden name, data and amount of the last telephone companybill or payment, outstanding balance on an account with another entity,etc. may require the customer to input that information for purposes offurther verification. It might also simply send a sign-up form throughthe mail to the customer. The Facilitator may then store some or all ofthis information in its database.

3. The Facilitator then requires the customer to input FM information.For example, in the case of a bank account, the Facilitator may requirebank routing information and an account number. Of course more than oneFM can be mapped to a telephone number (account). Additional informationmay also be requested from the customer by the Facilitator.

4. The Facilitator then verifies that certain key information of theTelco or other third party database matches corresponding keyinformation input by the customer, e.g., social security or other uniqueidentification number, banking or credit line information, etc. If itdoes, the Facilitator then links the requested funding mechanism to thetelephone number and requests a PIN number from the customer; thelinking is typically performed simply by establishing an association inthe database between the customer telephone and PIN numbers and thefunding information for that customer. As part of the linking process,the Facilitator preferably checks certain information (e.g., SocialSecurity number, mother's maiden name, etc.) provided by the registeringparty against corresponding data on record with respect to that party atthe telephone company, as well data that may be on record with thefunding mechanism entity. Of course, a PIN number may already have beensupplied by the customer to the Telco when the customer signed up for anaccount with the Telco, and in that case need not be supplied again bythe customer. Further, as an additional security measure, theFacilitator may require a written confirmation via mail or email beforeproceeding with linking the FM identifier to the telephone subscriber'sline. The registration can be also performed via the internet or by mailor email in which case after the customer fills in the information andsubmits it, the Facilitator verifies it against the telephone companydata for the device to be registered and then, if it matches, proceedsto link the customer telephone number and PIN to the collected data.

The present technique is adapted to operate primarily in either of twomodes. In a first, indirect, mode, the customer deals with theFacilitator only. For example if the customer wishes to engage in atransaction with a merchant target, the customer may initiate thetransaction by calling the Facilitator on a telephone or other devicewhich the customer has previously registered with the Facilitator andwhose Identity (i.e. telephone number or other identity uniquelyassigned by the telephone operating company or other authorities) isthus stored in the Facilitator database. The Facilitator verifies thecustomer's identity at a first level of authentication by checking theCaller ID associated with the call against the information contained inthe database. The customer next provides a password that is preferablyunique to it; this may be done verbally, or by entry on a Touchtone®telephone. The Facilitator then verifies the password. Of course, theFacilitator may delay verification of the Caller ID until the passwordis received, and then verify both together. Next, the customeridentifies the target and the transaction to be performed with it. Forexample, the customer might say: “Pay Sunshine Floral Shop of Boston$97.50 and charge my Empire Bank account number 837557”. Thisinformation may, of course, alternatively be provided at the outset ofthe customer call, and held by the Facilitator pending customerverification. Additional data may, of course, be provided by thecustomer, and used in the transaction. For example, the customer mayspecify an item to be purchased, the quantity, shipping terms (e.g.United Parcel Service®, U.S. mail, etc.). The Facilitator confirms theserequests against the target database and processes the transaction asdescribed above. The key, however, is the telephone number of thecustomer, or the target, or both, which serves to uniquely identify oneor both parties to the transaction.

The Facilitator responds by checking the account of the target, SunshineFloral Shop of Boston. If no such account exists, the Facilitator mayestablish a default account to which the funds are temporarily credited.The default account is preferably simply defined by at least thetarget's telephone number. In connection with this, it preferablynotifies the customer of this action. The Facilitator may also contactthe target and offer it the opportunity to register an account with theFacilitator. If the target account already exists, the Facilitatorverifies the data required to complete the transaction. If theregistered data does not match the data given by the customer, theFacilitator notifies the customer, the target, or both, to resolve theissue. If the data does match, however, the Facilitator notifies thetarget of the desired transaction and requests approval by the target.This approval can be made during the call or at a time in the future.Any notification can consist of a telephone call, notification through aprivate network, an email, regular mail or any other means.

If qualified approval is obtained (e.g., the target approves of thetransaction in general, but wishes to change the account into which themoney is to be paid from its default account to some other account), thecustomer is notified and asked for approval if the requested changeaffects the stated terms of the transaction (e.g., the purchase price)but may not be notified if it does not (e.g., the destination of thepayment when no destination is specifically designated by the customer)or if such transfers have been explicitly or implicitly preapproved bythe customer. Similarly, if the target has been provided in advance witha blanket approval of all transactions requested to be paid fromcustomers, the approval is not necessary and a preset account iscredited and the customer's account is debited. Once an account has beenapproved or approval dispensed with, the Facilitator debits thedesignated customer account, credits the designated target account, andpreferably notifies both parties of the successful completion of thetransaction. The customer may in fact approve of the modification of thetransaction. For example, a parent who wishes to make a payment to achild for a designated purpose (e.g., payment of college tuition) mayblock payment of amounts it sends to a child to any account other than adesignated tuition-payment account, e.g., an account of the collegeitself.

The target need not be a member of the Facilitator's network. As long asit is a subscriber to the Telco and has a unique telephone number, thatnumber can be used for crediting and debiting funds or other assets. Ifthe target's account is in credit, it can always forward funds toanother telephone subscriber without explicitly registering with theFacilitator. If any funds or assets must be credited against an accountwith a FM i.e. a bank account etc., then registration is necessary.

The above transaction can be driven through an automated voice responsesystem in a single step or in multiple steps to the extent necessary toaccomplish the above task. In the above example, the transaction can becompleted with a single phone call by the customer. In most instances,it is expected that the transaction will be completed without need forfurther input by the customer, and during the course of the call, whichgenerally will be brief. Thus, a minimum of time is expected to elapsebetween the time the customer first initiates the transaction, and thetime that the transaction is confirmed as complete. This minimizes thelikelihood that a customer will change its mind during the transactionprocessing, an important consideration for merchants that deal inreal-time purchases, such as goods that are advertised on the radio, ontelevision, in print, and in other media.

A significant embodiment of the present application is the transfer ofvalue or resources from one entity to another after authentication byusing the unique Telephone Numbering system. For example, a customer whowishes, as a “transferor”, to transfer money or some other resource,such as the title to a motor vehicle, or the ownership of a stockcertificate to another (“the transferee”) calls the Facilitator andidentifies the transferee as the target of the transaction, such as bygiving the transferee's telephone number; the amount of money to betransferred and the account against which the money is to be debited, inthe case of a money transfer, or the data identifying the resource to betransferred and such other information as may be necessary or desirablefor the transfer of the resource. The Facilitator then preferably checksthe identity of the entity associated with the target's telephone numberand reports this to the transferor for final approval, thereby providingan additional level of security to the transferor.

Once the transaction is approved within the transferor's account, a callor other form of notification is generated by the Facilitator to thetransferee, in which the transferee is informed of funds or otherresources which are available to him by transfer from the transferor.The transferee can then either register with the Facilitator (if notalready registered) by providing his identity and other information, ormay transfer the funds or resources to another target through the sameprocedure described above if this is permitted by the transferor or bythe Facilitator. The transferee can be contacted by telephone, by emailor by other means. As long as the target is uniquely identified throughthe phone numbering system, the transaction can be carried through. Inall cases a pre-approved PIN may be used. Also, a request to pay anothercan be notified to the Facilitator by the customer by an email or a webpage containing the telephone number of the target and all informationrequired to complete the transaction. In this mode upon the receipt ofthe information the Facilitator generates a call and proceeds withcompleting the transaction. Finally, the customer can use the phone andrequest that a payment be made to a person where notification to thetarget is made through email or other modes like SMS messages on amobile phone or through checks to be issued etc.

Person-to-person (or entity-to-entity) transfers can securely be made inthe course of a conversation between two parties in accordance with thepresent technique. For example if, during the course of a conversation,one party to the conversation decides to pay money or transfer an assetto the other, it can put the other party on hold (or initiate athree-way call), contact the Facilitator, and arrange for the transfer.The Facilitator can instantly authenticate the calling party throughCaller ID and approve or complete the transaction as appropriate.

In situations in which the identity of the party initiating the call isauthenticated by means other than by its telephone number, a party mayinitiate a transaction with another (the target) that is itselfidentified by a telephone number (Caller ID). In this mode, upon thereceipt of the information, the Facilitator generates a call to thetarget and proceeds with the transaction. Alternatively, a party mayinitiate the transaction by calling the Facilitator using its telephone(so that its identity is established by its caller ID and password asdescribed above) and initiate a transaction with another (the target) ina mode in which the target is communicated with other than through thetelephone.

Rather than having the customer initiate the call, the system may alsowork in reverse, i.e., the customer may be the target of a call made bythe Facilitator at the request of a merchant, a landlord, a utility,etc. For example, a cable television broadcaster may use the system topresent its monthly bills to customers for payment over the telephone.The broadcaster may provide the Facilitator with a list of its customersand the payments due from each. The Facilitator then dials eachcustomer. The details of the bill such as the name of the requestingentity (here, the broadcaster), the amount of the bill, and other dataas desired are then presented to the customer and the customer is askedfor its assent to payment. Verification is ensured by means of thecustomer's telephone number which the Facilitator itself has dialed and,optionally, the password or other unique information provided by thecustomer when the call is answered. On receiving the assent of thecustomer, the requester (broadcaster) is notified for its records, andthe Facilitator may directly proceed to complete the transaction bydebiting and crediting the appropriate accounts if the requester sodesires. The customer can request that the call be made, for example, 5days later, or 3 days before the bill is due, or at the due date, etc.The system records this request and initiates the call in accordancewith the request. The requests can also be setup on the internet at theFacilitator's web site. The customer can also directly call theFacilitator and request that the bills be paid. In this mode, theFacilitator verifies the customer's Caller ID and password, if necessaryand proceeds with crediting the biller's account and debiting thecustomer's account.

It is important to note that under most circumstances described in thisapplication, the Facilitator can check the Telco directory (or othersource, e.g., a channel partner, its own database, etc.) for a target'sname or alias and report it to the subscriber. If the target's name isnot listed in the directory then this can also be reported. As such,validation occurs thus building confidence for the transaction.

In a second, direct, mode of operation of the technique, a customercontacts a target directly, instead of through the Facilitator. Forexample a customer desiring to purchase an item sold by a particularmerchant calls the merchant on a registered telephone. Before placingthe order, the customer may inquire as to features of the desired item,price, availability, warranty, etc. This information is provided by themerchant. If the customer desires to proceed with the transaction, themerchant transfers the call to the Facilitator for authentication of thecustomer. The Facilitator authenticates the customer by means of thecustomer's telephone number and may also verify that the customer hassufficient funds to pay for the transaction and may, if desired, debitthe customer account and credit the merchant account. Followingauthentication, the Facilitator may transfer the call back to themerchant for completion of the transaction or may, if desired, completethe transaction itself, preferably with confirmation to both thecustomer and the merchant. Completion by the Facilitator may encompassonly some aspects of the transaction, such as the financial aspects ofdebiting and crediting the customer's account and crediting themerchant's account, with the rest (e.g., shipping) being performed bythe merchant, or may encompass all further aspects of the transaction inits entirety.

Bill presentation and payment by a requester may be performed in thedirect mode as well. Thus, the requestor calls the customer itself orthe customer calls the requester but, on obtaining the customer's assentto payment of the bill (e.g., by authorizing a charge to a credit card,debit card, or other FM's), the requester transfers the call to theFacilitator for at least authentication of the customer. The Facilitatormay perform only the authentication portion of the transaction, or mayadditionally perform some or all of the completion of the transactions(e.g., the financial aspects, accounting, and the like).

In an alternative mode, the customer can be physically present at thetarget's (e.g., merchant's) site. In this mode the customer provides themerchant a unique identifier, preferably his phone number or an aliasprovided by the Facilitator. The merchant then enters this informationinto a specific apparatus which is connected to a private or publicnetwork or through a phone call to the Facilitator. The Facilitator thencalls the customer or owner of the account for verification. The callmay be made to the registered device primarily associated with thecustomer, or to a device whose number is associated with the customer inthe customer database. Typically, the call is made to a mobile device.The customer can then approve the transaction. The approval can also begiven by a surrogate for the customer such as a parent or any thirdparty that owns the account and that is called instead of the customer.In any event, the approving entity provides a PIN and may select what FMto use for this transaction, among other attributes. The transaction maybe completed by the merchant or by the Facilitator. In either case, thecustomer's purchase can be cleared and paid for without proceedingthrough any checkout line. The products can be picked up on leaving thestore or shipped subsequently. The information provided by the customerabout its account number can be provided verbally or through a cardissued by the Facilitator, where the merchant swipes the card on aspecific apparatus or reads the information via a telephone to theFacilitator. It can also be provided through infrared communication orother means of local communication, wirelessly or through coupling ofthe device carried by the customer to the one provided to the merchantby the Facilitator or its agent. Both direct and indirect mode oftransactions can occur with this third mode. In any event, verificationof the transaction is performed by telephone call by the Facilitator tothe registered telephone number of the customer or the customer'ssurrogate (e.g., parent).

The call may alternatively be made on an approved device by the customerto the Facilitator, avoiding need for a callback, since the call itselfprovides to the Facilitator the caller's ID; additional customerinformation such as a secondary ID (e.g., the customer's PIN associatedwith the given device) may also be obtained by the Facilitator inconnection with the call. In connection with all types of transactionsdefined herein, the customer or target may be provided with an “alias”by the Facilitator. This alias may be used to identify the customer tothe merchant as one registered with the Facilitator, withoutcompromising the private secondary identifier (password) used by thecustomer to authenticate itself to the Facilitator. This may beimportant with certain customers that do not desire to reveal theirphone number to targets for privacy or other reasons. The Facilitatorcan decide to provide an alias for the shipping address, for paymentinformation, to mask the customer's information to the target forprivacy, or for other purposes, if required.

Either the target or the customer or both are identified by a predefinedseries of numbers or words or other means of unique identification,preferably the telephone number. However, the target may have beenassigned more than one account, which in turn means that when a targetis specified as a recipient of funds by a customer, in addition to theidentifier, a specific secondary identifier may also be presented for anaccurate routing of information, including funds. This may apply tocorporate entities where a corporate account is set-up with manysubaccounts.

In certain circumstances, individuals have placed a bar on transmittingtheir Caller ID in connection with calls that they make. In suchcircumstances, the individual can often momentarily circumvent this bydialing an “opt-out” code such as *82 or the like. Further, in somecircumstances, a unique number for a telephone is not identified (forexample, an office which displays a single number for all the extensionsof the company), or Caller ID is barred without the ability for anindividual to “opt out”. In such circumstances, a call-back service maybe used for all scenarios herein described. The number can be registeredvia phone, internet, mail, e-mail; etc after an initial account is setup. Then, when a call is generated from phone on which Caller ID isblocked, a password or secondary check, if necessary, is made. If thesystem is satisfied, it calls back on the prespecified number. It mightthen require a further password, such as a secondary password and othermeans of uniquely identifying an individual before proceeding with anymode of operation herein described.

It is possible to have more than one account registered to a singlephone number; for example, a husband, wife and child each having theirown account from the same number. This is similar to a primary cardholder in the credit card business, where a primary holder has anaccount and his/her spouse or child can have an account within the samecredit line. In this circumstance the primary user, that is, the personof record with the phone company, must first register, and then allowany secondary person to register an account from the same number. Eachindividual may be assigned a unique PIN number, or a common number maybe used. Each subaccount holder will be treated as a separate entitywith their own FM and personal information. In some circumstances theycan share funding sources. In order to identify the sub account a numberor letter may be assigned by the Facilitator, for example 617 555 1111A,B etc.

As noted above, in certain circumstances, for example, a parent-childrelationship, the child may be set up with an account in which provisionis made for a call back to a parent. When the child then uses thesystem, or indeed even uses a physical credit card for purchasing goodsand services, before the purchase is authorized, the Facilitatorrequests parental consent/approval prior to authorizing the purchase.This relationship can be extended to manager-subordinate as well, when apurchase is done by a subordinate, but approval has to be carriedthrough by the manager. Of course a full report of transaction andsummaries will be available to the parent, manager or any subscriber assuch.

An individual or entity can also have multiple accounts linked togetherso as to operate an integrated account. This can be accomplishedinitially by setting up the first number, e.g., a home number, and thenrequesting the set up of a second number (e.g., a mobile device), athird (e.g., an office, a second home etc) or more. Each number canshare FM's or have a unique FM or set of FM's linked to them. Theindividual can also request a callback service for any of the accounts.In this way the individual's account has a central location and can bereached via multiple devices (phone numbers), and integrated reports canbe presented to the individual.

It is also possible to operate the system in an IP telephonyenvironment. IP telephony typically has a unique IP address or telephonegateway, but this can be intercepted. In certain circumstance IPs arenot static. Also, in contrast with the telephone numbering system, wherea central authority regulates phone number issuance and management, dueto the inherent nature of the internet as an open environment, there isno central controller of IP addresses, and therefore it is prone toabuse, especially for financial transactions. In accordance with thepresent technique, the Facilitator may be used to provide a gatewaywhere an unauthenticated call can be initiated by the customer to apreassigned static IP address at the Facilitator. The Facilitator, basedon pre-specified guidelines (e.g., previously disclosed sender IPaddress, a digital signature, unique information e.g., password,mother's maiden name, etc.) can establish and authenticate theindividual. In connection with the authentication, the Facilitatorgenerates a call to a preassigned phone number of the customer on thepublic switched network; obtains a password from the customer; and thenoriginates a call or a message to a target. At the point ofauthentication, when the Facilitator has the required information, e.g.,the current Caller ID, etc., it approves the transaction.

The present technique also readily lends itself to the secure and rapidtransfer of money, either to the customer himself/herself or to others,or the transfer of money from one account of the customer to anotherwithin the same bank or another bank, as long as the FM/accounts havebeen established and registered with the Facilitator.

Credit lines may be made available to a registered customer by a bank orby the Facilitator itself. Thus, when registering for service, theFacilitator itself, either directly or through a third party, e.g., abank, may provide credit to the phone account. The customer may call onthis line as desired. The credit facility functions identically to thefunding mechanism of the account outlined above; functionally it acts asa FM. When undertaking a transaction the customer, rather than selectinga credit card or bank account, requests the use of the credit facility.Of course more than one credit facility can be established for a singleaccount by various credit providers or by the same provider. The usercan select the provider when engaging in a transaction, just as heselected the FM prior to completing the transaction.

It is possible that either the target or the customer fund the accountor receive funds in cash form directly or indirectly through a thirdparty member of the Facilitator's network.

In funding the account, the customers can

1. Go to a bank branch, a Facilitator network member store, aFacilitator itself, a network member ATM machine, or other agents,herein referred to as Network Members (NMs), pay cash, physicallypresent a credit card to be debited, or present a check, among otheracceptable payment instrument acceptable to the NM. The NM, aftersatisfying itself with respect to the availability of funds, will thendirectly, via a private or public network, provide a message to theFacilitator with the customer's account identifier, e.g., the phonenumber, which results in a credit to the account of the customer. Thepayment to the NM acts as another FM here. The NM may also simplyprovide the customer with a receipt containing a coded number, which canthen be used by the customer in a manner similar to the funding cardserial number described below. 2. Buy a pre-assigned funding cardsimilar to the telephone cards in existence today. The funding card willhave a serial number. Once registered as described previously, thecustomer can provide the funding card serial number to the Facilitatorand receive a credit, based on the purchase price or a ratio of thepurchase price, on the account which may then be used to do all thevarious different applications described herein, including sending fundsto a target. In fact the funding card acts as another FM.

In case of payout of the funds in cash to the target or recipient, thetarget can receive funds if:

-   -   1. The customer has provided a specific address, for example a        bank branch in Wichita, Kans. In this mode the intermediary (The        specific bank branch, NM store or other NM's) will receive an        instruction from the Facilitator with a recipient's details. The        recipient is notified via a call, email, mail or other means.        The recipient will then go to the bank branch, etc. and produce        an ID or other means of authentication to receive the funds    -   2. A check can be mailed by the Facilitator based on the        target's name and address as provided by the customer        instruction. A one time or limited time use card can be issued        to the target at the request of the customer. The target can use        this card on NM ATM networks to receive funds in full or        partially until the funds are exhausted. It is not necessary        that the recipient have a telephone account or register with the        Facilitator in this circumstance.    -   3. A permanent debit or ATM card can be issued to the recipient,        which enables any customer to send funds to the target. It is        not necessary that the recipient have a telephone account or        register with the Facilitator in this circumstance.

It is possible for the present technique to be used for purchasing ortransmitting funds via the internet or other networks. In this hybridmode a call is made between a customer and the Facilitator and thecustomer is authenticated. The target of a transaction that is thesubject of the call is identified by an email address or otherpreassigned electronic network address. The Facilitator emails therecipient and requests it to register with it or to establish anaccount, if an account has not previously been established. Theprocedure thereafter is identical to that described above. Similarly thecustomer can email funds or send funds through the internet or othernetworks after establishing and registering an account with theFacilitator that is linked to the customer's telephone number. Thetransfer can be accomplished by going to the Facilitator's web site andfilling out details of the recipient, including the recipient'stelephone number. After calling back the customer to authenticate thetransaction, the Facilitator calls the recipient and the proceduresdescribed above used to complete the transaction.

It is possible to use the system for mass distribution of promotions orfunds, like check runs and rebates, to designated targets. In this mode,a mass distribution list is set up by the Facilitator which rings thetarget's telephone numbers as provided by the merchant and informs themthat they have funds in their telephone account. The targets can thenperform all the functionalities described herein, including paying billsand paying other targets etc. Similarly in another mode, a customer canreceive a specific serial number from a merchant, the number beingassociated with, for example, a rebate on a digital camera. The customerthen calls a prespecified number at the Facilitator and after providingthe serial number, may obtain transfer of the funds to his/her accountimmediately or, based on pre-specified arrangement, at some future date.It is also possible that some personal information is then provided tothe merchant from the Facilitator's database containing consumerinformation.

It is also possible that calls could be generated by the Facilitator andproducts solicited to be sold on behalf of a merchant. If a customerresponds to the promotion and agrees to purchase the goods, funds may betransferred from his/her account to the merchant and goods shippedaccordingly.

Illustrative examples of the manner in which the various entities(customer/requester, merchant, target) may interact with the Facilitatorare shown in the accompanying drawings. In particular, in FIG. 1, a flowdiagram of a first embodiment of a transaction processing and paymentsystem in accordance with the present technique is shown. To begin theprocess, a call initiator (e.g., a registered customer such as aconsumer who desires to make a purchase or to transfer money from oneaccount to another) places a call to a transaction Facilitator (step 1)on a registered phone (i.e., one whose Caller ID is registered with theFacilitator). The latter is a service provider that facilitatestransaction processing and payment for entities such as consumers andbusinesses by authenticating the transaction initiator, and desirablythe target of the call as well. The target may be, for example, amerchant, a bank, an individual or other entity. For purposes offollowing the description, it may be helpful to think of the initiatoras a consumer who wishes to pay a bill to a utility, although it will beunderstood that this example is for the purpose of explanation only, andthat the present application is not so limited.

The initiator provides to the Facilitator a password (e.g., a personalidentification number or PIN), preferably unique to the initiator, thatserves as a secondary level of authentication; the primary level ofauthentication is provided by the Caller ID which is associated with thetelephone handset that the initiator is using to place the call. Thehandset is desirably a landline phone, for maximum security againstillegal interception, but may comprise a wireless phone instead.Information such as a password, and possibly other information as well,is entered by the initiator by voice or by telephone keypad in the caseof touch-tone telephones.

The initiator identifies the target of the transaction (e.g., a publicutility to which the initiator wishes to make payment of a bill) byvoicing or keypad-entering an identifier for the target. This may be thetarget's name or it may be a unique identifier provided to the initiatorby the target or from another source such as a directory and from whichthe target's record in the database can be accessed, either based on theidentifier alone or on the identifier supplemented by additionalinformation from the initiator or from other sources. Preferably,however, the target is identified to the Facilitator by its telephonenumber. This enables easy location of the target in the event that it isnot already a registrant in the target database.

The Facilitator authenticates the initiator (step 2) by examining theCaller ID associated with the call to determine if it is a registeredinitiator. This is accomplished by comparing the initiator Caller IDwith the initiator Database 10. The Facilitator also verifies the CallerIdentifier (e.g., PIN) in a similar manner. If these two match aspecific registrant in the database, the initiator is authenticated asthat registrant. If they do not, the transaction is aborted. Variousother actions may then be taken, such as asking the initiator to repeatthe Identifier; notifying the registrant by voice mail of one or morefailed access attempts; notifying public authorities; etc.

If initiator authentication is established, the Facilitator thenpreferably authenticates the target. This is typically accomplished in asimilar manner to that of initiator authentication, but using a separatedatabase 12. Of course the initiator and target databases may becombined in one but, because the two will generally have different datafields, it will generally be more efficient to use separate databasesfor them.

On establishing initiator authentication, the target is notified of theinitiator's desire to undertake a transaction with it. If the target isalready registered with the Facilitator, the target is given theopportunity to refuse the transaction, in which case the initiator isnotified and the transaction is terminated. Typically, however, thetarget will accept the transaction (step 3) by transmitting its assentto the Facilitator. In connection with acceptance, the target mayspecify the account into which any payment is to be made if this has notalready been established by the user. Additionally, the target maysupply other data to shape the transaction, if the user has notspecified to the contrary.

If the target is not already registered with the Facilitator, the targetis given the opportunity to do so. It may do so in a manner similar tothat in which a Call initiator registers, i.e., by providing to theFacilitator data such as a preferably unique identifier; a Caller ID(this, in fact, is provided by the telephone service provider), andother data that may be appropriate in connection with the transactionsto be undertaken with or by it. After registration, which may take placewholly over the telephone and during the same session as that in whichthe target is notified of a desired transaction with it, and afteracceptance of the transaction, the transaction is processed (step 4).Typically, this involves debiting an account of the Call initiator andcrediting the account of the target. Finally, the initiator and thetarget are notified of completion of the processing, and the transactionis thereby completed. Of course, if registration by the target isrefused, the initiator is notified and the transaction is terminatedwithout processing such as debiting or crediting of accounts.

This mode of operation is suitable for a number of the transactionsdescribed in detail above. For example, one person (e.g., a parent)wishing to send money to another (e.g., a child) may readily do so bymeans of a single telephone call to the Facilitator, specifying thetelephone number of the child and the amount to be transferred. Specificconditions, e.g., the particular account into which the money is to betransferred, forbidding retransfer to other accounts etc., may also bespecified by the parent as desired and as permitted by the Facilitator.

Another example of this mode of operation is in connection with shoppingat a merchant's. A customer who is in a merchant's shop and desires topurchase goods or services may call the Facilitator and provide it witha telephone number that the merchant has designated for this purpose, aswell as the amount to be paid and other appropriate data (e.g., “Payimmediately.”, “Pay in thirty days.”, etc.). The Facilitator then debitsor otherwise adjusts the customer's account and credit's or otherwiseadjusts the merchant's account to reflect the transaction. Operation inthis manner can enable the customer to avoid what may otherwise be alengthy checkout line.

FIG. 2 illustrates a second example of the technique, namely, one inwhich the call initiating a transaction is placed in the first instancenot to the Facilitator but to a third party such as a merchant. For easeof understanding, it may be helpful to consider FIG. 2 in connectionwith a transaction in which a consumer calls a merchant to order a CDthat it has just heard advertised, although it will be understood thatthe present application is not so limited. The transaction begins(step 1) with the Call initiator placing a telephone call to themerchant. The caller may make inquiry of the merchant prior to placingan order, such as to price, configuration, characteristics, warranty andthe like, and may provide information to the merchant concerning itselfsuch as name or alias, address, etc. The Caller ID of the initiator iscaptured in connection with the call, but it need not be used by themerchant; it may simply be transmitted to the Facilitator.

In order to authenticate the initiator, the merchant transfers the callto the Facilitator. The Facilitator authenticates the parties to theproposed transaction (step 2) in the manner previously described inconnection with FIG. 1, i.e., it checks the Caller ID and preferably aunique identifier of each party with the respective initiator and targetdatabases; in the present case, the customer is the initiator and theMerchant is the target. If both checks match for each party, theFacilitator notifies the initiator of the transaction (step 3) andinquires as to acceptance. If the initiator accepts, the Facilitatornotifies the target of the authentication of the initiator. At thispoint, the Facilitator may cease to participate further in thetransaction, and the transaction may be completed by theMerchant/target. The Facilitator's role in the transaction will thushave been to provide the authentication which gives the Merchant thesecurity needed to proceed with the transaction, knowing that it is notfraudulent. Conversely, the Merchant may desire that the Facilitatorcomplete the transaction. In this case, the Facilitator will completethe transaction in the manner previously described in connection withFIG. 1, e.g., by debiting and crediting the accounts of the Merchant andof the Consumer, respectively, notifying them both of the action, andterminating the call.

Although the above specific examples illustrate the present technique inthe context of calls initiated by a customer, it will be understood thatthe present apparatus/technique is not so limited. For example, theinitiator may be a merchant, a utility, or simply a third party who ispresenting bills for payment, or a person or entity that seeks transferof assets from another. In any event, authentication of at least oneparty to the transaction is accomplished by the Facilitator by means ofthe party's unique telephone ID (i.e., telephone number, or preassignedstatic IP address at the Facilitator), preferably in connection with asecondary identifier such as a PIN.

A flow chart detailing the procedure 500 that the system performs inaccordance with bill presentment and payment is shown in FIG. 3.Initially, in step 505, the merchant contacts the Facilitator andtransfers the billing information to the Facilitator. This billinginformation may include one or more of, for example, the names of thecustomers, the payments due from each, information relating to theservices rendered, the time or times at which the bill is to bepresented to the customer, and the telephone number to reach thecustomer. In step 510, the Facilitator contacts a customer by dialingthe customer's phone number through the traditional telephone network.Once contact is made with the customer, then the Facilitator presentsthe bill information to the customer in step 515. This presentation caninclude the name of the requesting entity (i.e. the merchant), amount ofthe bill, and any other data as desired. The Facilitator also asks thatthe customer also assent to the bill. If a customer requests that theybe notified later (step 520), then the Facilitator waits until therequested time (step 525) before looping back to contact the customer instep 510. For example, a customer may request that he or she becontacted on the date the bill is due or, for example, three days beforethe bill is due or on the third Sunday of the month at 8 PM.

If the customer assents to the bill payment (step 530), then theFacilitator completes the transaction in step 535. The customer has beenverified by the use of the customer's telephone number which theFacilitator itself has dialed. Or alternatively the customer has dialedinto the facilitator and the customer's Caller ID has thereby beenobtained by the Facilitator. In alternate embodiments, the customer mayadditionally be verified by a user name, password, voiceprint or otherunique identifying information provided by the customer when the call isanswered. Once a Facilitator has completed the transaction (step 535),then the Facilitator notifies the merchant of the payment (step 540).This notification can be accomplished using, for example, a databasefile or other computer files transferred from the Facilitator to themerchant identifying the customer's, the amounts of payment, and otherinformation.

The present application is readily implemented using existing commercialinstrumentalities to provide the necessary hardware; the software isreadily assembled from existing communications, database, and financialsoftware modules, with any desired customization well within the skillof those skilled in the art of communications and software. Conventionalstored program data processors can perform the necessary processingusing such software. It is expected that most transactions will beprocessed by the Facilitator without the need for human intervention,although the Facilitator may provide such intervention when necessary ordesirable.

User Trust Account

As described in detail above, associated with each user of the system ofthe application is an account that is associated with at least atelephone number that forms part of the account's principal identity andwhich may be debited or credited during a transaction. For purposes ofreference, such accounts will be referred to hereinafter as “trustaccounts”, i.e., accounts in which records of debits and credits may bemade. Each transaction involving a financial transfer that takes placein the system is reflected in at least one such account. Each accountcontains certain essential information as to a given user, and maycontain further information as desired. In particular, each trustaccount contains information that uniquely identifies a given user. Theuser may be identified by the telephone number used to open his/heraccount, by name, by Social Security Number, by a unique number or otheridentifier assigned by the Facilitator, or by a combination of these orother information. Additional ‘phone numbers may be associated with anaccount.

A user may have sub-accounts associated with an account. For example, auser may establish separate accounts for household purchases or othertransactions, business transactions, etc. A funding mechanism isspecified for each trust account. This may be a single mechanism, or itmay cover a variety of complementary or alternative mechanisms, such ascash, check, credit card, debit card or other financial mechanisms fortransferring money, credits, financial assets, etc. to others or fromone account to another.

The currency in which transactions are to be conducted is desirablyspecified in the trust account. A default currency, such as U.S.Dollars, British Pounds, Euros, etc. may be specified if the user doesnot specify a different currency. Multiple accounts may also beprovided, one for each currency.

Restrictions on transactions may be imposed by the user, theFacilitator, third parties, or one or more of these. For example, wherean account or sub-account is funded by credit card, the Facilitator, thecard issuer, the user, or one or more of these may impose limits on theamount that may be charged over a given period of time or for a givenvendor, or the largest amount that may be charged at any one time. or acombination of these or other restrictions. As will be described indetail below, these or other restrictions may be associated with, andtriggered by, an estimate of the uncertainty in the authentication of agiven financial transaction.

A record of the transactions that have been processed in connection witha given account is also maintained in connection with each trustaccount. This record preferably includes the date of a transaction, theamount, the payer, the payee, the funding mechanism used for thetransaction (cash, credit card, etc.), and possibly other data as well.A Trust Account is established not only for each registered user, butalso for each target, whether or not the target chooses to register withthe Facilitator. Each account is associated with at least a telephonenumber that forms part of the account's principal identity. From theviewpoint of the Facilitator, a user of the system, whether its role isthat of initiator or that of target, may thus be viewed simply as atelephone number, and transactions may be viewed as taking place betweentwo telephone numbers, analogous to person-to-person voicecommunications but involving transfer of assets as opposed simply tovoice communications.

FIG. 4 illustrates some of the data that is preferably recorded in auser's trust account. Some of the data elements have referred toalready; others will be described in detail subsequently. Each user hasan account, the respective accounts being indicated in FIG. 4 as TA-1,TA-2, TA-3, etc. Each such account, e.g., account TA-1, preferablycontains a User Account Number 10, a User Name 12, a User Address 14,Telephone Number 16, Social Security Number 18, and PersonalIdentification Number 20. Additional identifiers or passwords 20 a mayalso be included. One or more Funding Mechanism 22, 24, etc., areidentified in the account, as well as an account Transaction History 26(containing relevant data for account transactions, such as transactiondata, payer, payee, amount, nature of transaction, etc.), the AccountBalance 28 and the Currency 30 in which the account is maintained. Alsocontained in, or linked to, the User Account is a voice print 32 of theUser as described in more detail below. The voice print comprises avoice prompt obtained from the user, and a statistical analysis of thevoice prompt to facilitate subsequent voice comparisons in identifyingthe speaker who provided the prompt. Additional voice prints 34 may alsobe stored in or associated with the Account for providing differentlevels of security or for use in connection with different transactions.The User Account Number can be any number capable of uniquelyidentifying the account, either by itself or in connection with anotheridentifier, and may, e.g., comprise the user's telephone number, SocialSecurity Number, a sequence number generated by the facilitator, etc.

A user may interrogate an account. For example, the user may wish toretrieve an item of information it may have forgotten, such as its PIN.If the information to be retrieved is part of the information that is tobe verified on log in, the Facilitator may allow the user to log inconditionally and with only a limited choice of operations that it canperform until the User establishes full verification. Typically theFacilitator will require a high level of authentication in such cases,e.g., by using one or more of the additional identifiers (passwords) 20or Voice Prints 32.

FIG. 5 illustrates the operation of the system in the case of a directtransfer of assets from an initiator-payer to a target-payee. Aninitiator 50 (which may comprise an individual, a business, or otherentity) having a Trust Account 50 a contacts (communication step 52) theFacilitator 54 to begin a transaction with a target 56. The initiatordefines the transaction to be performed, e.g., pay a specific amount ofmoney to a payee. The initiator may identify the payee by any uniqueidentifier by which the Facilitator may retrieve the payee's telephonenumber, preferably the payee's telephone number itself, but permissiblyby name and address or other unique identifier. The initiator may alsospecify a Funding Mechanism to used for the transaction, e.g., assetscredited in the initiator's trust account, third party sources such ascredits cards, debit cards, bank loans, etc.; or may simply rely on adefault Funding Mechanism specified in the account.

The Facilitator authenticates the initiator in the manner previouslydescribed, i.e., it verifies the telephone number from which theinitiator called as a telephone registered to the initiator if thecommunication from the initiator is by telephone or places a call-backto the telephone number registered to the person or entity that theinitiator claims to be in order to verify the communication. Theauthentication may take place at any time during communication with theinitiator, i.e., at the outset, in the course of statement of thedesired transaction, at the completion of the communication (includingcall-back), or a mixture of these.

The Facilitator also examines the Trust Account 50 a of the initiator inorder to verify that the account has, or can obtain, sufficient assetsto perform the transaction. For example, if the Funding Mechanism to beused for the transaction is to entail a call on funds from a third partyin order to support it (e.g., the use of a credit or debit card, a loanfrom a bank, etc.), the Facilitator may communicate (step 58) with acredit or debit card issuer 60; a bank 62 (step 64); or with any otherfunding mechanism or source of potential assurance that the appropriatefunds are available to the initiator for the particular transaction inquestion. Alternatively, as opposed to verification of each transaction,where a block of funds can be committed to an initiator's Trust Accountin advance of a transaction, the Facilitator need only verify that thefunds available within the particular Funding Mechanism designated bythe initiator are sufficient to support the transaction.

The Facilitator also authenticates the target. Typically, this is doneafter the initiator has been authenticated and the availability of thenecessary funds has been verified, but may be done at any stage of thetransaction. Preferably, the Facilitator first searches its own database(step 64) to determine whether the target is already known to it, i.e.,whether it already has a Trust Account 56 a associated with it. If thetarget does have a pre-existing account, funds are transferred into itin accordance with the initiator's request. The Facilitator thenpreferably notifies the target of this action (step 66), and desirablynotifies the initiator as well.

If no preexisting account is found for the target in the subscriberdatabase, a Trust Account 26 will be created for it. This may be atemporary account if the target chooses not wish to register as asubscriber to the system, and will be a permanent account if the targetdoes wish to register. In the latter case, the registration process willgenerally be the same as that of non-target subscribers, i.e., thetarget will be asked to provide information that will assist inidentifying it and associating it with a specific telephone number.During this process, third party entities such as a Telephone Company(Telco) 72 may be contacted (step 72) to verify information provided by,or concerning, the target account being created. In the course of atransaction between an initiator and a target, records of thetransaction are made in both accounts. Assets that are transferred intothe target's account may be then released from the account at thedirection of the target, subject to any restrictions imposed by theinitiator or by the Facilitator.

Enhanced Authentication

While the level of authentication provided by basic Caller ID monitoring(i.e., verifying that the Caller ID transmitted over the voice line (the“voice-line Caller ID”) with a call matches a Caller ID associated witha registered user as recorded in a database) may be adequate fortransactions of lesser value or infrequent occurrence, it is desirableto provide an enhanced level of authentication for transactions of agiven value either because of the risk associated with the transactionor because the frequency of transactions by a user quickly aggregate toa substantial amount. The exact extent of what is “substantial” may beestablished by the Facilitator or by others (e.g., a credit cardissuer), and may vary from time to time, or among subscribers, or inaccordance with experience with particular subscribers. In the presentembodiment, either or both of two forms of enhancement are specificallyprovided for.

In a first form of enhanced authentication, basic Caller ID monitoringis enhanced by further matching the voice-line Caller ID transmittedwith a communication from a user with a Caller ID transmitted separatelyfrom the communication, preferably over a different channel, inparticular, via the SS7 signaling network that is in common usethroughout the United States for telephone communications. This networkprovides for transmission of Caller ID information over a voice linealong with the called number and preceding the desired communication. Italso provides the telephone numbers of the call initiator and the calledparty on a separate control channel (“control-channel ANI” which is theequivalent of Caller ID and so referred to herein). The latter channelis less susceptible to unauthorized monitoring or interception by thirdparties. In a further embodiment of the present application, theFacilitator not only checks the voice-line Caller ID against a userdatabase to authenticate the telephone being used to effectuate afinancial transaction, but also checks the voice-line Caller ID againstthe control-channel Caller ID. A match between the two confirms that theinstrument being used for the communication (such instrument beingreferred to here as a “telephone” or “phone”, regardless of the form ittakes, as long as it is used transmit voice or data over a telephoneline) is indeed an instrument associated with a recognized user, andthus increases the reliability of the verification.

Thus, referring to FIG. 6, a communication between an initiator 100 andthe Facilitator 102 will typically pass through one or more telephonecompany exchanges 104, 106 over voice communication lines 108, 110, 112.At the first exchange, 104, the telephone service provider or “Telco”adds certain information to the call that is transmitted with the callon its transportation to the destination. This information includes,inter alia, the Caller ID of the call initiator. At the same time, theTelco also transmits control and other information over a separatecontrol channel, referred to here as the “SS7 control channel”, element114 in FIG. 6. This information is used, among other purposes, tocontrol the set up of the call, its switching through other Telcooffices, and the like. It also includes information about the receiverand sender that is the same as the Caller-ID of the sender and receiver.

In accordance with the present technique, the Facilitator, withpermission of the Telco, is connected (communication channel 116) to theSS7 control channel 114 to enable the Facilitator to retrieve from thatchannel the Caller-ID transmitted over that channel in connection with acall that is received over voice-communication line 108. This data, aswell as the voice channel data, may be buffered (i.e., temporarilystored) in order to accommodate differences in transmission times. TheFacilitator then compares the control channel Caller ID with the voicechannel Caller ID to determine whether they match. If they do, thetransaction with the initiator 100 is allowed to proceed in the mannerdescribed generally above. If they do not match, however, an exceptionis noted and appropriate action is taken. For example, the Facilitatormay request that the initiator place a new call to it to verify that theTelco system has not simply malfunctioned; may request that theinitiator call the Facilitator on another telephone that is registeredwith the Facilitator; may terminate the attempted transaction; or maytake other action as appropriate.

In a second form of enhanced authentication, a voice prompt of asubscriber's voice is recorded, preferably at the time of subscriberenrollment but permissibly at other times as well, and from time totime, and is stored in connection with a subscriber's record. The voiceprompt may then be accessed in connection with communications with theFacilitator by a user to verify that the person speaking on the phone isindeed the person associated with that phone as stored in theFacilitator database associated with the voice-print.

The voiceprint is typically obtained from a subscriber at the time ofregistration, but may be obtained at any time and added to the accountinformation. Although shown as part of the Trust Account itself, it may,of course, be stored in a separate database linked with the subscriber.The voice prompt may comprise any short segment of speech selected bythe Facilitator or by the user. It need only be long enough to provide areasonable level of confidence that a user placing a call to theFacilitator to affect funds in a user account (whether payment into theaccount or withdrawal form it) is indeed the person the user claims tobe. Typically, a few seconds of speech will suffice for this purpose.

FIG. 7 illustrates a number of modes in which a voice prompt mayadvantageously be used. In one mode, the Facilitator verifies foritself, through a voice prompt, either the initiator or the target orboth. Thus, assume that an initiator 120 wishes to conduct a transactionwith a target 122 through the Facilitator 124. In addition to theverification earlier described (or even in place of it), the Facilitatormay search for the initiator's Trust Account 120 a and retrieve (step126) the initiator's voice print. It then statistically compares(comparison 128) this with the voice of the initiator 120 in the currenttransaction as transmitted over the voice communication channel (e.g.,telephone line) 130. If the comparison succeeds, the transaction isallowed to proceed. Otherwise, it may be aborted, or other action may betaken by the Facilitator. Similarly, if the target 122 is a subscriber,the Facilitator can authenticate, or further authenticate, the target bysearching for the target's Trust Account 122 a and retrieving (step 132)a voice print of the target. The Facilitator then statistically compares(comparison 128) this voice print with the voice of the target 122 inthe current transaction as transmitted over a voice communicationchannel (e.g., telephone line) 134 between the Facilitator and thetarget. If the comparison succeeds, the transaction is allowed toproceed. Otherwise, it may be aborted, or other action may be taken bythe Facilitator.

In another mode, a voice prompt may be used to authenticate one partydirectly to another. For example, an initiator that is familiar with thevoice of an entity with which it desires to conduct a transaction maydesire assurance that the Facilitator contacts the correct target. Toprovide this assurance, prior to transferring funds or assets to thetarget, the Facilitator may retrieve a voice prompt of the target thatit has identified and thereafter play it back to the initiator. This ispreferably done while the initiator is still in contact with theFacilitator on initiating a transaction, but may be done subsequently,e.g., by way of callback from the Facilitator. The initiator, afterhearing the voice prompt of the target, may then instruct theFacilitator to proceed with the transaction or, alternatively, may causeits termination without transfer of funds or assets to the target.

Conversely, on being contacted by the Facilitator on behalf of aninitiator with whose voice a target is familiar, the target may beprovided assurance that it is dealing with an entity known to it byreceiving from the Facilitator a play of a voice prompt of theinitiator. The voice prompt may be a general voice prompt of theinitiator not restricted to the particular transaction or it may be onethat has been recorded specifically for this transaction or for this anda specified class of other transactions. The latter (i.e., speciallyrecorded) form not only serves to authenticate the initiator, but alsoto authenticate the Facilitator as authorized to deal on behalf of theinitiator.

A user's voice prompt may also be useful in assuring an initiator thatit is dealing with an authentic Facilitator. In particular, whenexisting subscribers receive a call from the Facilitator, the lattertypically requests certain information from them, such as a User ID,PIN, etc., before authorizing a transaction. To prevent an unauthorizedparty posing as the Facilitator from obtaining this information bytrick, the Facilitator preferably plays back to the user at least someportion of the user's pre-recorded voice prompt to thereby verify thatthe entity to which the user is connecting is indeed the Facilitator.This may be the user's name, or it may be a word or phrase selected andrecorded by the user specifically for this purpose. If the user does nothear the correct voice selection in connection with a log-in, itimmediately knows that it is connected to an entity other than theFacilitator and can take action appropriately. The user can also requestinformation unique to itself and generally private that it haspreviously supplied to the Facilitator in order to authenticate thecalling entity.

In the case of an unregistered target, of course, no pre-existingvoice-print will be available for that user. In that case, theFacilitator may require that the sender and the receiver agree amongthemselves on a personal code that must be used by the receiver in orderto access funds deposited to the receiver's trust account by the sender.Alternatively or additionally, the sender and receiver may conduct thetransaction as a bridge call (i.e., a call in which both parties and theFacilitator are on the line), so that the sender and receiver may hearand identify each other's voices. As an alternative to a bridge call,the sender may record his or her voice with a message for subsequent useby the Facilitator in contacting the receiver to thereby provide anenhanced level of security for the transaction.

If no information is found for the designated target, the Facilitatormay search for the target in a name-telephone number database of alltelephone users, and provide to the Facilitator information from thisdatabase. For example, if the initiator provides to the Facilitator thetelephone number of the target, and the target is not otherwise listedwith the Facilitator, the Facilitator may provide to the initiator thename and address associated with that telephone number in thename-telephone number database, so that the initiator can confirm orreject or modify the transaction.

In some circumstances it will be useful to provide a concurrentthree-way bridge among the initiator, the Facilitator, and the target.The bridge may be established by the initiator or by the Facilitator.During the bridge, the initiator can immediately verify the target tothe Facilitator (or the target can confirm the initiator to theFacilitator) so that the transaction can proceed. This mode ofoperation, for example, may be particularly appropriate where the targethas not registered with the Facilitator. The target may then registerwith the Facilitator during the call, or afterwards, or may be providedwith a password that will enable it to claim the assets transferred toit by the initiator without formal registration. In any event, a TrustAccount is established for the target to receive and hold the assetsuntil at least such time as they are claimed by the target.

The association of voice prints with telephone numbers, particularlyvoice prints indexed by telephone numbers, is itself a useful anddesirable feature. Thus, a registrant whose voice print is on recordwith the Facilitator, may use this facility to provide furtheridentification when requested. For example, a user desiring to completea transaction at a bank or merchant who is asked for furtheridentification may call the Facilitator (or arrange to receive acall-back from the Facilitator at a registered phone) and speak a wordor phrase which the Facilitator can check against its voice printdatabase to verify the user.

Applications of Enhanced Authentication

Active authentication of a communication (such as checking a voice-lineCaller ID against a subscriber database; checking a voice-line Caller IDagainst a control-channel Caller ID; checking a user's voice against apre-recorded voice-print, etc.) enables the Facilitator to control andlimit the risk that it and others dealing with it undertake inconnection with transactions to which it is a party. In accordance witha further embodiment of the present application, in connection with atleast certain of the transactions, e.g., those for which the subscriber,the Facilitator, or others, may be put at risk of financial loss from aparticular transaction, the Facilitator makes use of the enhancedsecurity to put constraints on the transaction in order to minimize, oreliminate, the risk of loss. This embodiment is illustrated inconnection with FIG. 8, beginning with a request (step 805) that atransaction be undertaken.

In connection with the transaction, the Facilitator calculates (step810) the value of the transaction, i.e., the “value at risk” if the riskof loss falls on it, and then takes further action dependent on theresults of the calculation. For example, at the outset, the Facilitatormay assign a certain maximum or “threshold” value for the acceptableamount at risk for a given subscriber. If the threshold exceeds thevalue at risk of the transaction, the Facilitator proceeds (step 815)with the transaction. If not, enhanced authentication may be requiredbefore the transaction is allowed to proceed. This will be illustratedin FIG. 8 in terms of voiceprint authentication (steps 820, 825) butother forms of enhanced authentication may be used, as will be describedbelow.

The threshold amount may be a certain standard initial amount for allsubscribers, or may be a variable amount that is dependent on theparticular subscriber or group of subscribers. For example, asubscriber's prior credit history may be used to determine the initialamount, or the initial amount may be determined by the subscriber'scredit profile, among other criteria for setting the amount. The amountmay be changed from time to time, in accordance with the Facilitator'sexperience with the subscriber in connection with processing subscribertransactions. Whenever the outstanding debits in the subscriber'saccount exceed this amount, the Facilitator may take various actions.For example, it may merely provide a warning that the subscriber hasexceeded the permissible limits for outstanding debits, and ask thesubscriber to rectify this within a certain period of time. It may,instead, block all further transactions in the subscribers trust accountuntil the debit is reduced below the allowable maximum. Other forms ofaction are, of course, possible.

In one embodiment of the present application, calculation of the valueat risk is based at least in part on the level of security that has beendetermined to be associated with a particular type of communication.This determines, at least in part, the “trust level” to be assigned tosaid transaction. In particular, each degree of security ischaracterized by a number from 0 to 1 which may be considered torepresent the probability that a given communication is indeedauthentic, i.e., is with a verified telephone, or a verified user, orboth. A communication that has been authenticated by basic Caller IDmonitoring only (i.e., voice-line Caller ID verification against adatabase) may be assigned a probability of, e.g., 0.90. A communicationthat has been verified by both basic and control-channel (e.g., SS7)Caller ID monitoring, in contrast, may be assigned a probability of0.95. A communication that has been verified by call-back may beassigned a probability of 0.99. Other probabilities may be defined onother criteria. The value at risk is then calculated as A=TV*(1−P),where A is the value at risk, TV the transaction value, and P theprobability assigned to or calculated for the communication, 0<P<1.Action may then be taken by the Facilitator dependent on whether thevalue at risk exceeds the permissible threshold for the subscriberassociated with the communication.

Furthermore, the Facilitator may establish certain probabilityrequirements for various levels of transactions. For example, fortransactions between $5,000 and $10,000, the Facilitator may require anauthentication probability of 70%, while for transactions above $10,000the Facilitator may require a probability of 80% or greater. Theseprobabilities can be customized as the Facilitator desires and foramounts or other classifications. If the probability generated in step825 is sufficient, then the Facilitator will perform the desiredtransaction (step 835).

However, if the generated probability is not sufficient to meet therequirements determined by the Facilitator, then the Facilitator willobtain additional details (step 840). These additional details can beobtained by asking the user for certain information, such as a secondarypersonal identification number (PIN), a mother's maiden name, a portionof the user's social security number, or other personal/privateinformation. The user can enter the information either by, for example,using dual-tone modulated frequency (DTMF) keys on a telephone keypad orby speaking the user's answers. The results of the additional questionsare used to modify the probability that the user is in fact the personhe or she is claiming to be. After a newly revised probability isgenerated, then another determination is made (step 850) as to whetherthe probability is sufficient to enable the transaction to continue. Ifthe probability is now sufficiently high to enable the transaction tocontinue, then the Facilitator performs the requested transaction (step855). However, if the newly revised probability is still not sufficientthen the Facilitator will fail and not perform the transaction (step860). However, in alternate embodiments, if the probability is still notsufficient, then the Facilitator may loop back to step 840 to obtainadditional details in order to further refine the probability estimatethat the user is an authenticated and permissible user.

An important consideration for a Facilitator is the total outstandingliability generated due to spurious or faked transaction requests. Forany given transaction the expected value of the transaction is given bythe following formula: E(x)=V×P₁×P₂, where V is the value of thetransaction, P₁ is the probability associated with the direction of thetelephone call (described further below) and P₂ is a probabilityassociated with the voice print. This probability is generated from avoice print taken of the user at the time of the transaction.

A Facilitator can set up a threshold limit for various types oftransactions. For example, it may determine that no transaction will beperformed if the total probability (P₁×P₂) is less than a certainamount, e.g., 0.50. Additionally, the Facilitator can assign variousprobabilities for P₁. For example, if a call-back is performed withautomatic number identification (ANI), the Facilitator may assignP₁=1.0. However, if a call back is performed and no Caller ID from thecallback number is available, then the facilitator may assign a value ofP₁=0.95. These probabilities reflect the level of verification achievedby performing a call back with or without Caller ID. Similarly, if asender calls into the Facilitator's system, then a value of Pi =0.90might be assigned, for example.

The Facilitator may also have a transaction-wide or daily exposureaggregate limit which it adheres to. If a user exceeds the limit, theFacilitator may refuse the transaction or may require furtherauthentication, e.g., through a voice print.

Conclusion

From the foregoing, it will be seen that an authentication and paymentsystem is provided with a significant degree of security without theneed for special devices. The system uses a unique identifier that isnearly universally available and that itself typically has undergone atleast some level of scrutiny by independent third parties (e.g., Telcos)in connection with associating it with a particular device, e.g., atelephone, and with a particular individual or entity. Desiredtransactions can typically be initiated, authenticated, and authorizedduring a single phone call by a customer, and may frequently becompleted during that call as well. Travel to specific facilities toinitiate a transaction is not required, yet a security level higher thanthat commonly associated with “Authorization When Not Present”transactions is maintained.

What is claimed:
 1. A method comprising: receiving, at a server, one ormore messages from an originator device, the one or more messageidentifying an originator alias and a target alias, the one or moremessages instructing the server to transfer one or more resources fromthe originator alias to the target alias; in response to receiving theone or more messages, authenticating, by the server, the one or moremessages by matching the originator alias and the target alias to aplurality of aliases in one or more databases, respectively; in responseto authenticating the one or more messages, identifying, by the server,a first payment destination identifier in the database associated withthe originator alias and a second payment destination identifierassociated with the target alias; and facilitating, by the server,transfer of the one or more resources from a funding mechanismassociated with the first payment destination identifier to an entityassociated with the second payment identifier.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the originator device is selected from a group consisting of alandline telephone, a wireless telephone, a computer browser or a deviceconnected to a computer network via a telephone network.
 3. The methodof claim 1, wherein the target alias is assigned by the server.
 4. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the first payment destination identifier andthe second payment destination identifier are generated automatically bythe server.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing andlinking target financial account information to the plurality of storedaliases in the database.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:receiving, by the server, a transaction identifier identifying atransaction, and a payment amount for the transaction associated withthe target alias; retrieving, by the server, stored target financialaccount information associated with the received target alias from thedatabase; and facilitating, by the server, transfer the payment amountfrom the originator to the target based on the stored target financialaccount information.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transactionidentifier is selected from the group consisting of an email address, atelephone number, a numeric string, an alphanumeric string, a hashidentifier, a uniform resource locator (URL), a coded URL, a codedstring, and a combination thereof.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein thetransaction identifier is embedded in a coded uniform resource locator(URL).
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the target alias or theoriginator alias is an email address.
 10. The method of claim 1, whereinthe target alias or the originator alias is a telephone number.
 11. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the first payment destination identifier orthe second payment destination identifier is selected from the groupconsisting of an email address, a telephone number, a numeric string, analphanumeric string, a hash identifier, a uniform resource locator(URL), a coded URL, coded string, or a combination thereof.
 12. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the first payment destination identifier orthe second payment destination identifier is embedded in a coded uniformresource locator (URL).
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the firstpayment destination identifier is provided to the server by theoriginator.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the originator alias is ausername and password.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the server isan intermediate server that maintains one or more databases ofauthorized originator aliases and target aliases.
 16. The method ofclaim 15, the intermediate server facilitates the transfer of the one ormore resources by means of debit and credit entries in originator andtarget financial accounts maintained by the intermediate server.
 17. Themethod of claim 16 wherein the originator and target financial accountsare selected from a group consisting of a bank account, a credit cardaccount, a debit card account and a prepaid card account.
 18. The methodof claim 15, in which the intermediate server facilitates transfer bymeans of requesting a debit authorization at one or more other servers.19. The method of claim 18, wherein upon authorization the intermediateserver debits a financial account of the originator that is maintainedby another server.
 20. The method of claim 18, wherein uponauthorization the intermediate server credits the financial account ofthe target that is maintained by another server.
 21. The method of claim15, wherein the intermediate server is a facilitator configured tocommunication with one or more servers is selected from the groupconsisting of a payment processor, one or more financial institutionservers, and one or more payment network servers.
 22. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the one or more messages are selected from a groupconsisting of voice telephony, text message, wireless network message,Internet Protocol message, system message, peer to peer message, emailand computer browser originated message.
 23. A server comprising: aprocessor, the processor including one or more program modulesconfigured to: receive one or more messages from an originator device,the one or more message identifying an originator alias and a targetalias, the one or more messages instructing the server to transfer oneor more resources from the originator alias to the target alias; inresponse to receiving the one or more messages, authenticate the one ormore messages by matching the originator alias and the target alias to aplurality of aliases in one or more databases, respectively; in responseto authenticating the one or more messages, identify a first paymentdestination identifier in the database associated with the originatoralias and a second payment destination identifier associated with thetarget alias; and facilitate transfer of the resource from a fundingmechanism associated with the first payment destination identifier to anentity associated with the second payment identifier.